To do a Christmas food shop in person on 23rd?

[LostittoBostik]

I'm hosting Xmas for 6 this year but this is the first time I've hosted without having a food delivery slot booked. This is because we've dropped deliveries in favour of doing a shop ourselves this year as part of drive to save money on our food costs as a family, so I missed things like the Ocado booking slot reminder.
I've never done a Xmas the old fashioned way - going around the shop with a giant trolley.
I'm only doing a large chicken rather than turkey as only 4 of 6 eat meat. Will there be a chicken left to buy on the 23rd in a large superstore? And will things like mince pies be left?
Sorry if I sound quite stupid! The mental load overwhelm is out of control and I'm suddenly having a massive panic attack about it all.

This is the reason that I never risk an online delivery in Christmas week - if there were any subs and there's no time to fix it. I've been buying the 'dry' stuff already but for the meat, veg, cream etc we go to Aldi or Lidl early as the shops are smaller and less overwhelming.

I always do a click and collect early on 23rd so that if anything is unavailable then I have all day and the 24th to go elsewhere. I’ve (touch wood) never had anything unavailable.
Your usual delivery will be picked in the same shop anyway so no less likely to have it available in store than for home delivery.

We're going on 23rd in the early afternoon. It's the only time we have available without the kids so we just have to go then. It will be busy but I'm sure fully stocked.

Have a physical list you can tick off and scan/pack as you go if possible.

OP you will be fine!!! The shelves will be groaning with everything you need.

These things don't run out anymore. I mean if there's a specific cheese you HAVE to have then maybe go on Saturday, but otherwise you will be great.

There will be plenty of food left! I'm sure there will be chicken and probably mince pies. If not fresh chicken there will be frozen. People panic like it's the end of the world but we are so lucky in this country that even if there isn't exactly what you want there will be other things.

In our city two ladies went to the store late Christmas Eve one year and there was only one turkey left. So they physically fought over it! The police were called and they were in the cells overnight! Can you imagine?

We do this every year and we are usually cooking for 8 or more. And we also live somewhere with a dodgy supply chain, if the ferry doesn't go there can be empty shelves. I've never not been able to get everything we need.

But the back up plan is we'd find something to cook and have a Christmas meal another day when the turkeys arrived.

There will be plenty. I’m away this weekend too and will need to buy veg and other fresh stuff on Monday night or Tuesday morning. It’s absolutely fine. The shelves start to get bare from midday on Xmas eve as they’re not restocking then. I’ve always shopped in person as I prefer it.

I shop late on the 23rd. Stock is constantly replenished and between two supermarkets on the same retail park, I've never come home with gaps, and if I did there's still the 24th.

I've gradually built up longer life foods/ treats through December so it's mainly veg that I need by this stage. I also shop between Christmas and New Year so it's no more daunting than a food shop.

I hear far more fretting about people queuing in virtual queues to get their delivery slots, putting random stuff in to secure it, having to go back to actually input the shopping then errors/ subsititions etc. It sounds like a hideous drawn out process to me, but I'm a "monkey walk round shop, monkey sees what she likes, monkey puts what she sees into trolley" kind of gal rather than dredging my brain to work it all out type

No idea what this obsession is about. Think over 3 days, milk consumption for me and my parents is the lowest over the year. That’s just for 5-6 cups of tea and coffee.

Ha ha, unless you own teenagers. In which case we have 20 pints of milk in the fridge at all times 😂

This too. I'd do this if we didn't have a traditional Christmas Eve walk every year. I have friends who pick up a reduced Turkey and one to freeze every year.

A few years ago I went very, very early on Christmas Eve and parked up before the shop opened. What I liked was that the car park was full of women also sitting in their cars, drinking coffee, and clearly enjoying some peace and quiet before the onslaught of the next few days.

I do this most years. I order a turkey from a farm shop but just go to the supermarket early in the morning on 22/23 for everything else. It's totally fine- I've always managed to get what I need.

Will be fine, I've bought turkey reduced to £5 on Christmas Eve several times. To be sure of getting what you want i would go today or tomorrow for all the longer life food though

Monday is a working day for many (I realise there are people who don’t work/retired/booked leave), but plenty will surely be working and not fighting over some dry turkey!

I will be going on the 23rd , but just for fruit , veg , salads etc . Tend to go as early as possible, but the problem with that in my closest large supermarket is that they haven’t restocked fruit and veg from the night before completely, so I might go a bit later this year . If I go further into town then getting out of the car park can take an hour at any time during Christmas week though which I won’t be doing .

I do online for snacks, nibbles etc and fresh Christmas Eve 🙈😅. It's always fine! :)

I say out of the 17 Christmases I worked in the supermarket, we probably ran out of turkeys 13 of them. 2020 and 2021 were years we had loads of turkeys left - for obvious reasons.

As most of the turkeys were dated BD, the manager in store at time of closing on XE gathered up all the turkeys and put them in the freezer in the back. After Christmas we were told to help ourselves to a turkey or turkey crown. HQ put a communication saying any leftover turkeys are for colleagues to take home free. As a thank you for working through the pandemic.

My parents and I have a repeat of Christmas Day dinner on Easter Sunday and its a tradition we have followed for many years.

Turkey is only dry if you don't cook it in a bag or under tightly wrapped foil for the whole duration of cooking. Putting stuffing in the bird deffo dries it out.

DM puts turkey crown in a roasting bag, puts lemon and onion cut in half in the hollows underneath and then streaky bacon on the big breast section.

This will work. It's what I do but on the 24th! Always fresh turkeys etc there.

In my experience the 6am visits are worse than the afternoon. Many a year M&S has been pandemonium even at that time as people will go before work

But saying that I would much rather that than relying on an online delivery for a Christmas shop that close to the day. Plus you can check the dates when you go yourself to avoid having to go out again after Christmas

Never had an issue getting anything on the 23rd/24th regardless what time of day it is

I did it in early labour once on the 22nd. It was fine. I'm sure the 23rd can't be much different.

Me too! I'm sure you'll be fine OP 😊

Waitrose in my area has click and collect slots available at some stores if you're really worried. However I used to work in grocery retail and I can assure you that the stores are planning for lots of in person shopping on the 23rd ! Get there early so it's not too busy and you'll be fine

It’ll be fine. So much panic over nothing, unless you live in the back of beyond!

I've got 17 for Xmas day and as I'm away this weekend will be shopping on Xmas eve. Will be fine. Get there as early as you can - the shelves will be heaving x